1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to eyewear, and more particularly to eyewear for viewing video presentations.
2. Description of the Background Art
Some modern video presentations (e.g., 3-D movies) require special eyewear to be viewed properly. In the past, this type of eyewear was designed for minimal manufacturing costs with little regard for aesthetics. Recently, however, more design emphasis has been put into giving such eyewear a more quality appearance. Indeed, manufacturers strive to achieve an eyewear design with a good balance between performance, aesthetics, and low cost of manufacturing.
Such eyewear typically includes a set of lenses, a set of arms, and a frame. Typically, the lenses are permanently mounted in the frame by some suitable means such as, for example, glue, thermal weld, molding the frame around the lens, etc. The arms and the frame are typically integral parts of a single component formed, for example, via injection molding or the like. Indeed, such eyewear is typically a single disposable device wherein the lenses, arms, and frame are permanent integral parts thereof.
Although current eyewear designs achieve a good balance between performance, aesthetics, and low cost of manufacturing, they also have disadvantages. For example, if any one or more of the integral parts of the eyewear does not function properly, the entire eyewear has to be disposed of because all the components are permanently coupled together. Of course, disposing of the entire eyewear when only a single component is defective is wasteful and, therefore, undesirable. Furthermore, the eyewear is not personally customizable or adapted for retrofitting.
In an attempt to address the problems associated with the prior art, some eyewear is designed such that the arms are detachable and, therefore, can be replaced if necessary. Typically, such designs include arms having a mounting feature (e.g. hinge pin) that is adapted to engage a complementary mounting feature (e.g. hinge pin receiving aperture) formed on the frame.
Although eyewear having removable arms alleviates some of the challenges associated with eyewear having integral arms, disadvantages still exist. For example, the mounting feature formed on the arms and the complementary mounting feature formed on the frame are inherently susceptible to fatigue and eventual failure. Typically, once the mounting feature wears out, the arm has to be replaced. Likewise, when the complementary mounting feature wears out, the frame typically has to be replaced.
What is needed, therefore, is eyewear that is more salvageable when one or more components fail. What is also needed is eyewear that is personally customizable with interchangeable parts. What is also need is eyewear that is more adapted for retrofitting.